Post navigation

Summer Plans Torn Asunder

I had the best of intentions when school ended on June 7. I had to spend three more work days packing up my classroom after the students bailed and I packed two bags, as most good ELA teachers do. One bag is MG & YA titles from my classroom library that I’m interested in but hadn’t gotten to during the school year. The other bag is professional titles I wanted to read or revisit before the next school year.

I have made it through exactly TWO “pleasure” titles and ZERO professional titles. I have finished 3 audiobooks and that is quickly becoming my most consistent genre. Granted we were on a 16-day road trip beginning June 26 and I don’t read in the car but still, there’s guilt. It’s similar to Book Abandonment Guilt (BAG) but it’s even more cutting than BAG because I feel like I’m letting down my profession and fellow Nerdy Book Club members. It’s also similar to the guilt I feel in not being consistent with the workout schedule I set for myself to initiate the 20 lb Summer Weight Loss that I fantasize about every summer but, let’s be real… that hasn’t worked for the past 10 years so I wasn’t really expecting that I’d stick to that one.

So, I stare at the two cloth grocery bags sitting next to one of my bookcases (that also houses unread titles) and feel bad. But I’ve had a great summer with my kids and still have 3 weeks or so left before work begins calling. And, truly, it’s not like I’m going to stop reading…that’s just insane. So, I’ll have to try to pick up the slack here in the next 2 weeks and make my peace with what I have, and haven’t, read as I head to my new classroom. Happy Reading, friends.